ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- John Beake, who was instrumental in the trade for John Elway and helped guide the Denver Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in the late 1990s, has died at age 87, the team said Saturday.
The team said the family confirmed Beake's death. No cause was given.
"The Broncos are saddened by the passing of longtime executive John Beake, who made an enduring impact on our organization during more than two decades with the team," the organization said in a statement. "John helped guide the Broncos to five Super Bowl appearances, including back-to-back world championships and was a respected leader throughout one of the most successful eras in franchise history."
We're saddened by the loss of former Broncos General Manager John Beake, who passed away at the age of 87. Beake, who was with the Broncos from 1979-2000, guided the organization's front office to five Super Bowl appearances, including our back-to-back victories in SB XXXII & SB XXXIII. 📰 » https://t.co/k6JInSyCWt
Beake joined the team in 1979, holding multiple personnel roles before becoming general manager in 1983, when he helped engineer the trade with the Baltimore Colts for Elway, who became a Hall of Famer and won Super Bowls as a quarterback following the 1997 and '98 seasons and again after the 2015 season as the team's GM.
Beake transitioned into another role with the Broncos in 2000, serving as the team's vice president of administration before joining the NFL's league office as vice president of player development and managing director of NFL Europe's football operations.
Before joining the Broncos, Beake worked for Hall of Famer Hank Stram as an offensive assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs (1968-74) and the New Orleans Saints (1976-77).